Iowa State University Extension and Outreach is offering an opportunity to learn about the people and culture of Guatemala. A nine-day travel seminar to Guatemala in January provides comprehensive learning about Guatemalan life, culture, history and sustainability.

The film “Out to the Lakes” recently received awards of achievement in the documentary and educational production categories and an award of excellence in music from the Iowa Motion Picture Association. The Iowa Learning Farms film encourages viewers to think about water quality and their personal relationship with their local lake or water body.

The Dubuque County Senior Dairy Quiz Bowl Team placed first in the annual 4-H Youth Dairy Quiz Bowl June 6. The team will represent Iowa 4-H at the National 4-H Dairy Quiz Bowl in Louisville, Ky., in November.

Iowa Learning Farms will host a field day at the Dana Norby farm near Osage, Iowa, on Thursday, June 21, beginning at 11 a.m. The field day will focus on no-till and strip-till conservation farming for optimum results.

The daylong educational opportunity designed specifically for pork producers is set for June 28 on the Iowa State campus, and features practical information on a variety of topics that can be applied on the farm.

Iowa Learning Farms will host a field day at the Barry Kusel farm near Manning, Iowa, on Wednesday, June 20, beginning at 6 p.m. The field day will focus on no-till conservation farming and cover crop management for optimum results.

Iowa Learning Farms will host a field day at the Mark Mueller farm near Waverly, Iowa, on Thursday, June 14, beginning at 11 a.m. The field day will focus on no-till conservation farming and crop residue management for optimum results.

Mulches are commonly used to enhance the beauty of landscapes, suppress weeds, conserve soil moisture and buffer plants from the damaging effects of traffic and lawn equipment. ISU horticulture specialists answer specific questions about using mulch.

When children learn something well the first time, even if they do forget, relearning is easier. This month’s Science of Parenting podcast from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach examines how children learn and how teachers and parents can adapt teaching to fit learning and memory. It’s the final long-form podcast in the series.

Managing swine farrowing facilities to maintain a thermally comfortable environment for both sows and piglets is challenging. A new publication from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach explains how using localized heating to create a microclimate for piglets can reduce mortality rates and overall energy consumption.

Iowa Learning Farms and the Hewitt Creek Watershed Improvement Association are hosting a field day June 8 at the Al Wente denitrifying bioreactor site located at 26723 New Vienna Road, Farley, Iowa. The field day will focus on best-management practices to reduce nitrate fertilizer losses from farm fields. The event is free and the public is invited to attend.

A new, customized equine management program being offered by Iowa State University and Extension and Outreach gives Iowa horse farm or ranch owners an educational program created specifically for their facility.

Iowa Learning Farms and the Sac Soil and Water Conservation District are hosting a field day on Tuesday, June 5 on the Dean Tiefenthaler farm, rural Breda. The field day will focus on strip-tillage as a conservation farming practice.

Big Creek Lake, located near Polk City, was created in 1972 and this year celebrates its 40th birthday. A celebration of the lake, Big Creek State Park and the wildlife management area will be held Saturday, June 2, beginning at 10 a.m. near the beach.

Horticulture specialists with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach answer homeowner questions about summer lawn care in this week's column. They also provide answers on a new website of frequently asked yard and garden questions.

Women will learn how to market grain through volatile times when they attend a series of weekly meetings coordinated by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation. The first meeting will be held from 7 - 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 7 on the Ankeny DMACC Campus.

As Lee Schulz made his way from home in central Wisconsin to college and to career, one thing was clear: there’s no place he’d rather be than working for a land grant university in the Midwest. He began his job as ISU Extension and Outreach livestock economist in early May.

From building robots to experimenting with electricity and extracting DNA from bananas, kids and teens explore hands-on, scientific inquiry through 4-H clubs and out-of-school experiences from ISU Extension and Outreach.